KK road users caught off-guard by new speed limit

KOTA KINABALU: The change of speed limit along the major Lintas road to the international airport here is catching motorists by surprise.

Some have received summons in the mail for speeding along a certain stretch of the road where the speed limit had been reduced to 60kph from 70kph.

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) vice-president Gee Tien Siong said road users were concerned with the sudden changes to the speed limit along certain stretches of the road that connects the Sabah northern region to the southern areas as well as the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).

"It is a critical road, so they must inform the public of any changes to the speed limit," Gee said, adding that there were also no signs to indicate to motorists where the 60kph speed limit ends.

He said the reduction came to light only after motorists received fines for inadvertently exceeding the "unannounced" speed limit.

"Jalan Lintas has had its speed limit slashed to 60kph without any prior notification to the public," he added.

Gee said that a motorist only realised he was booked for breaching the 60kph speed limit when he received a traffic summons for driving at 73kph along Jalan Lintas in early April 2024.

"There is a lot of confusion. Where does the 60kph speed limit start and where does it end? Generally, the speed limit is set at 70kph for such major roads in the state.

"The sudden reduction in the speed limit not only caught motorists by surprise but also disrupted traffic efficiency," Gee added.

He said that Jalan Lintas was designed as a bypass road to alleviate congestion in Kota Kinabalu and it was also upgraded with flyovers to further improve traffic flow.

"The rationale behind reducing the speed limit is not explained," he said, adding that the Public Works Department should explain its decision.